this week’s project: expertly addressing dangerous blue quest pipes
July 23, 2022by adminUncategorized
There are plenty of homes that were built from the late 1970’s to the middle of 1990s which have one thing in common—their water service lines and pipes are made of blue quest or polybutylene.
Was your house built before the year 2000? Then your house might have blue quest pipes too, as well as other people in your neighborhood. But just because many people have them, doesn’t mean it’s okay! It might not sound like much of a big deal, but it these pipes are an accident that is just waiting to happen.
WHY SAY NO TO BLUE QUEST?
People used to opt for blue quest pipes because they were once considered as more durable and cheaper than copper. Unfortunately, they WILL start to leak and break—it’s only a question of when this will happen. Sooner or later, you’re going to get in trouble if you have polybutylene pipes in your home.
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU HAVE POLYBUTYLENE PIPES IN YOUR HOME
Blue quest pipes are medium-weight, coming in colors of blue, white or gray. One easy way to spot if they’re blue quest is if they have “PB” anywhere in the printed label. Usually one half or one inch in diameter, you can find these pipes going inside your house through a concrete slab, the floor or the basement wall. They could also be entering your home near a water heater or coming up through a crawl space.
If you’re not so sure about whether or not you spot blue quest pipes, a plumber can help.
SHOULD YOU REPAIR OR REPLACE YOUR POLYBUTYLENE?
If your blue quest line starts leaking, you have the choice of either getting them repaired or replaced. Repairs might cost a little less than a replacement, but they’re still expensive nonetheless AND they don’t even last that long. We suggest you get your polybutylene lines completely replaced, or else you risk your home to water damage and flooding.
DEALING WITH A BLUE QUEST WATER SERVICE LINE IN THE FORT WORTH AREA
Because of all the horror stories surrounding blue quest water lines, a homeowner in the Fort Worth area decided to replace their polybutylene pipes before they started to leak. Who’d want to go home to a flooded basement, anyway?
The water service line between the front of the home and the meter box is made up entirely of polybutylene.The fresh water branch going across the front yard towards the water softener in the garage was blue quest, too! Both of these needed to be replaced entirely.
The cost of replacements like these can vary depending on the location, number of rooms, and more. For this project, the trench will total at 75 feet. The whole project is definitely a huge investment, but nothing compared to the cost of damage from burst blue quest pipes.
REPLACING POLYBUTYLENE WITH PEX
To address the issue, we will install a new 1” pex water line supplying the house and water softener, as well as updated shutoff valves and valve boxes. Once all the blue quest pipes are replaced, the homeowner can now be put at ease when it comes to their family’s safety and health.
